Project: ICT Governance Framework Application
Document Type: Core Analysis - System Architecture
Version: 1.0
Prepared by: ICT Governance Project Team
Date: August 8, 2025
Investment: $1,275,000 | Value Target: $2,300,000 annually | Timeline: 65 weeks
This System Architecture document defines the comprehensive technical architecture for the ICT Governance Framework Application. Built on modern cloud-native principles with AI-powered capabilities, the architecture delivers scalable, secure, and intelligent governance platform supporting 1,000+ concurrent users while providing the foundation for $2.3M annual business value realization.
| Architecture Overview: Cloud-native microservices | AI/ML integration | Zero-trust security | 99.9% availability | Enterprise-grade scalability |
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PRESENTATION LAYER │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Web Portal │ Mobile Apps │ APIs │ Third-Party Integrations│
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ APPLICATION GATEWAY │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ API Gateway │ Load Balancer │ Security Gateway │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BUSINESS SERVICES │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Governance │ Analytics │ Compliance │ Risk │ Workflow │ Integration │
│ Engine │ Service │ Service │ Mgmt │ Service │ Service │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PLATFORM SERVICES │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Identity │ Notification │ Document │ Audit │ Search │ ML Pipeline │
│ Service │ Service │ Service │ Service│Service │ Service │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DATA LAYER │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Operational │ Analytics │ Document │ Master │ Archive │
│ Database │ Database │ Store │ Data │ Storage │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
-- Core Governance Tables
Policies (PolicyID, Name, Version, Status, Content, Approval, Expiry)
Workflows (WorkflowID, Name, Definition, Status, Owner, Created)
ProcessInstances (InstanceID, WorkflowID, Status, Data, StartTime)
Tasks (TaskID, InstanceID, Assignee, Status, DueDate, CompletedDate)
Decisions (DecisionID, InstanceID, Rules, Outcome, Timestamp)
# ML Pipeline Components
class GovernanceMLPipeline:
def __init__(self):
self.data_ingestion = DataIngestionService()
self.feature_engineering = FeatureEngineeringService()
self.model_training = ModelTrainingService()
self.model_deployment = ModelDeploymentService()
self.monitoring = ModelMonitoringService()
def execute_pipeline(self, data_sources):
# Data ingestion from multiple sources
raw_data = self.data_ingestion.collect(data_sources)
# Feature engineering and preprocessing
features = self.feature_engineering.transform(raw_data)
# Model training and validation
model = self.model_training.train(features)
# Model deployment to production
self.model_deployment.deploy(model)
# Continuous monitoring and optimization
self.monitoring.track_performance(model)
// Compliance Framework Interface
public interface IComplianceFramework
{
string FrameworkName { get; }
Version FrameworkVersion { get; }
List<IComplianceRequirement> GetRequirements();
ComplianceResult AssessCompliance(IGovernanceContext context);
List<IRemediation> GetRemediationActions(ComplianceGap gap);
}
// Implementation for GDPR
public class GDPRFramework : IComplianceFramework
{
public string FrameworkName => "GDPR";
public Version FrameworkVersion => new Version(2018, 5, 25);
public ComplianceResult AssessCompliance(IGovernanceContext context)
{
var assessments = new List<RequirementAssessment>();
// Article 32 - Security of processing
assessments.Add(AssessSecurityControls(context));
// Article 25 - Data protection by design and by default
assessments.Add(AssessDataProtectionByDesign(context));
return new ComplianceResult(assessments);
}
}
// Risk Assessment Framework
public class RiskAssessmentEngine
{
public RiskProfile AssessRisk(IRiskContext context)
{
var threats = IdentifyThreats(context);
var vulnerabilities = AssessVulnerabilities(context);
var controls = EvaluateControls(context);
var riskScenarios = GenerateRiskScenarios(threats, vulnerabilities);
var residualRisk = CalculateResidualRisk(riskScenarios, controls);
return new RiskProfile
{
InherentRisk = CalculateInherentRisk(riskScenarios),
ResidualRisk = residualRisk,
RiskTolerance = context.RiskTolerance,
Recommendations = GenerateRecommendations(residualRisk)
};
}
}
// Role-Based Access Control Implementation
public class RoleBasedAuthorizationHandler : AuthorizationHandler<RoleRequirement>
{
protected override Task HandleRequirementAsync(
AuthorizationHandlerContext context,
RoleRequirement requirement)
{
var user = context.User;
var roles = user.FindAll(ClaimTypes.Role).Select(c => c.Value);
if (roles.Any(role => requirement.AllowedRoles.Contains(role)))
{
// Check additional context-based permissions
if (HasContextualPermissions(user, context.Resource))
{
context.Succeed(requirement);
}
}
return Task.CompletedTask;
}
}
// Document Processing Workflow
public class DocumentProcessingPipeline
{
public async Task<ProcessedDocument> ProcessDocument(DocumentUpload upload)
{
// 1. Virus scanning and security validation
await SecurityScanDocument(upload);
// 2. Content extraction and OCR
var content = await ExtractContent(upload);
// 3. Classification and tagging
var classification = await ClassifyDocument(content);
// 4. Metadata extraction
var metadata = await ExtractMetadata(upload, content);
// 5. Index for search
await IndexDocument(upload.Id, content, metadata);
// 6. Apply retention policies
await ApplyRetentionPolicies(upload, classification);
return new ProcessedDocument(upload, content, metadata, classification);
}
}
// Event Sourcing for Governance Actions
public class GovernanceEventStore
{
public async Task<Guid> AppendEventAsync<T>(Guid aggregateId, T domainEvent)
where T : IDomainEvent
{
var eventData = new EventData
{
AggregateId = aggregateId,
EventType = typeof(T).Name,
EventData = JsonSerializer.Serialize(domainEvent),
EventVersion = await GetNextVersionAsync(aggregateId),
Timestamp = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow
};
await _eventStore.AppendAsync(eventData);
await _eventBus.PublishAsync(domainEvent);
return eventData.Id;
}
}
// Command and Query Separation
public class GovernanceCommandService
{
public async Task<CommandResult> ExecuteCommand(ICommand command)
{
// Validate command
var validation = await _validator.ValidateAsync(command);
if (!validation.IsValid)
return CommandResult.Failed(validation.Errors);
// Execute command and store events
var events = await _commandHandler.HandleAsync(command);
await _eventStore.AppendEventsAsync(events);
return CommandResult.Success();
}
}
public class GovernanceQueryService
{
public async Task<TResult> ExecuteQuery<TResult>(IQuery<TResult> query)
{
// Execute optimized read-only query
return await _queryHandler.HandleAsync(query);
}
}
// Enterprise Data Integration Service
public class DataIntegrationService
{
public async Task<IntegrationResult> SynchronizeData(
DataSource source,
DataDestination destination)
{
try
{
// 1. Extract data from source
var data = await _extractor.ExtractAsync(source);
// 2. Transform data according to mapping rules
var transformedData = await _transformer.TransformAsync(data);
// 3. Validate data quality
var validationResult = await _validator.ValidateAsync(transformedData);
if (!validationResult.IsValid)
{
await _errorHandler.HandleValidationErrorsAsync(validationResult.Errors);
return IntegrationResult.Failed(validationResult.Errors);
}
// 4. Load data to destination
await _loader.LoadAsync(transformedData, destination);
// 5. Update integration status
await _statusTracker.UpdateStatusAsync(IntegrationStatus.Completed);
return IntegrationResult.Success();
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
await _errorHandler.HandleExceptionAsync(ex);
return IntegrationResult.Error(ex);
}
}
}
// Identity-Centric Security Implementation
public class ZeroTrustSecurityService
{
public async Task<AuthorizationResult> AuthorizeRequestAsync(
ClaimsPrincipal user,
string resource,
string action)
{
// 1. Verify user identity
var identityVerification = await VerifyIdentityAsync(user);
if (!identityVerification.IsValid)
return AuthorizationResult.Denied("Invalid identity");
// 2. Assess device trust
var deviceTrust = await AssessDeviceTrustAsync(user.DeviceId);
if (deviceTrust.TrustLevel < RequiredTrustLevel.Medium)
return AuthorizationResult.Denied("Untrusted device");
// 3. Evaluate contextual factors
var context = await BuildSecurityContextAsync(user, resource);
var riskScore = await CalculateRiskScoreAsync(context);
// 4. Apply conditional access policies
var policies = await GetApplicablePoliciesAsync(user, resource, action);
var policyResult = await EvaluatePoliciesAsync(policies, context);
return policyResult.IsAuthorized ?
AuthorizationResult.Allowed() :
AuthorizationResult.Denied(policyResult.Reason);
}
}
// Data Loss Prevention Service
public class DataLossPreventionService
{
public async Task<DLPResult> ScanContentAsync(ContentItem content)
{
var scanResults = new List<DLPFinding>();
// Scan for sensitive data patterns
foreach (var rule in _dlpRules)
{
var matches = rule.Pattern.Matches(content.Text);
foreach (Match match in matches)
{
scanResults.Add(new DLPFinding
{
RuleId = rule.Id,
RuleName = rule.Name,
Severity = rule.Severity,
Content = match.Value,
Location = match.Index,
Confidence = CalculateConfidence(match, rule)
});
}
}
// Apply remediation actions
foreach (var finding in scanResults.Where(f => f.Severity >= Severity.High))
{
await ApplyRemediationAsync(finding, content);
}
return new DLPResult(scanResults);
}
}
# Kubernetes HPA Configuration
apiVersion: autoscaling/v2
kind: HorizontalPodAutoscaler
metadata:
name: governance-service-hpa
spec:
scaleTargetRef:
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
name: governance-service
minReplicas: 3
maxReplicas: 50
metrics:
- type: Resource
resource:
name: cpu
target:
type: Utilization
averageUtilization: 70
- type: Resource
resource:
name: memory
target:
type: Utilization
averageUtilization: 80
// Multi-Level Caching Implementation
public class CacheService
{
private readonly IMemoryCache _memoryCache;
private readonly IDistributedCache _distributedCache;
private readonly IDatabase _database;
public async Task<T> GetOrSetAsync<T>(string key, Func<Task<T>> getItem, TimeSpan expiration)
{
// Level 1: In-memory cache
if (_memoryCache.TryGetValue(key, out T cachedValue))
return cachedValue;
// Level 2: Distributed cache (Redis)
var distributedValue = await _distributedCache.GetStringAsync(key);
if (distributedValue != null)
{
var deserializedValue = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<T>(distributedValue);
_memoryCache.Set(key, deserializedValue, TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5));
return deserializedValue;
}
// Level 3: Database
var item = await getItem();
var serializedItem = JsonSerializer.Serialize(item);
await _distributedCache.SetStringAsync(key, serializedItem, expiration);
_memoryCache.Set(key, item, TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5));
return item;
}
}
// Custom Metrics and Monitoring
public class GovernanceMetrics
{
private readonly IMetricsLogger _metricsLogger;
public async Task TrackGovernanceOperation(string operation, TimeSpan duration, bool success)
{
_metricsLogger.LogMetric("governance.operation.duration", duration.TotalMilliseconds, new Dictionary<string, object>
{
["operation"] = operation,
["success"] = success,
["timestamp"] = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow
});
if (!success)
{
_metricsLogger.LogMetric("governance.operation.failure", 1, new Dictionary<string, object>
{
["operation"] = operation,
["timestamp"] = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow
});
}
}
public void TrackUserInteraction(string userId, string action, string resource)
{
_metricsLogger.LogMetric("governance.user.interaction", 1, new Dictionary<string, object>
{
["userId"] = userId,
["action"] = action,
["resource"] = resource,
["timestamp"] = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow
});
}
}
// Comprehensive Health Checks
public class GovernanceHealthCheck : IHealthCheck
{
public async Task<HealthCheckResult> CheckHealthAsync(HealthCheckContext context, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
{
var healthData = new Dictionary<string, object>();
try
{
// Database connectivity
var dbHealth = await CheckDatabaseHealthAsync();
healthData["database"] = dbHealth;
// External service dependencies
var externalServices = await CheckExternalServicesAsync();
healthData["externalServices"] = externalServices;
// Cache availability
var cacheHealth = await CheckCacheHealthAsync();
healthData["cache"] = cacheHealth;
// Message queue health
var queueHealth = await CheckMessageQueueHealthAsync();
healthData["messageQueue"] = queueHealth;
var overallHealth = CalculateOverallHealth(healthData);
return overallHealth.IsHealthy
? HealthCheckResult.Healthy("All systems operational", healthData)
: HealthCheckResult.Degraded("Some systems experiencing issues", healthData);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
return HealthCheckResult.Unhealthy("Health check failed", ex, healthData);
}
}
}
// Structured Logging with Correlation
public class GovernanceLogger
{
private readonly ILogger<GovernanceLogger> _logger;
private readonly IHttpContextAccessor _httpContextAccessor;
public void LogGovernanceEvent(string eventType, object eventData, LogLevel logLevel = LogLevel.Information)
{
var correlationId = GetCorrelationId();
var userId = GetCurrentUserId();
using (_logger.BeginScope(new Dictionary<string, object>
{
["CorrelationId"] = correlationId,
["UserId"] = userId,
["EventType"] = eventType,
["Timestamp"] = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow
}))
{
_logger.Log(logLevel, "Governance event: {EventType} - {EventData}", eventType, eventData);
}
}
}
# Governance Service Deployment
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
name: governance-service
labels:
app: governance-service
version: v1.0.0
spec:
replicas: 3
selector:
matchLabels:
app: governance-service
template:
metadata:
labels:
app: governance-service
version: v1.0.0
spec:
containers:
- name: governance-service
image: governanceregistry.azurecr.io/governance-service:v1.0.0
ports:
- containerPort: 80
env:
- name: ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT
value: "Production"
- name: ConnectionStrings__DefaultConnection
valueFrom:
secretKeyRef:
name: governance-secrets
key: database-connection
resources:
requests:
memory: "256Mi"
cpu: "250m"
limits:
memory: "512Mi"
cpu: "500m"
livenessProbe:
httpGet:
path: /health
port: 80
initialDelaySeconds: 30
periodSeconds: 10
readinessProbe:
httpGet:
path: /health/ready
port: 80
initialDelaySeconds: 5
periodSeconds: 5
# Build and Deployment Pipeline
trigger:
branches:
include:
- main
- develop
paths:
include:
- src/GovernanceService/*
stages:
- stage: Build
jobs:
- job: BuildAndTest
pool:
vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'
steps:
- task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
displayName: 'Restore packages'
inputs:
command: 'restore'
projects: '**/*.csproj'
- task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
displayName: 'Build solution'
inputs:
command: 'build'
projects: '**/*.csproj'
arguments: '--configuration Release --no-restore'
- task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
displayName: 'Run tests'
inputs:
command: 'test'
projects: '**/*Tests.csproj'
arguments: '--configuration Release --no-build --collect:"XPlat Code Coverage"'
- task: Docker@2
displayName: 'Build and push Docker image'
inputs:
containerRegistry: 'GovernanceRegistry'
repository: 'governance-service'
command: 'buildAndPush'
Dockerfile: '**/Dockerfile'
tags: |
$(Build.BuildId)
latest
- stage: Deploy
dependsOn: Build
condition: and(succeeded(), eq(variables['Build.SourceBranch'], 'refs/heads/main'))
jobs:
- deployment: DeployToProduction
environment: 'production'
strategy:
runOnce:
deploy:
steps:
- task: KubernetesManifest@0
displayName: 'Deploy to Kubernetes'
inputs:
action: 'deploy'
kubernetesServiceConnection: 'AKS-Connection'
namespace: 'governance'
manifests: |
k8s/deployment.yaml
k8s/service.yaml
k8s/ingress.yaml
containers: 'governanceregistry.azurecr.io/governance-service:$(Build.BuildId)'
// Disaster Recovery Orchestration
public class DisasterRecoveryService
{
public async Task<RecoveryResult> ExecuteDisasterRecovery(DisasterType disasterType)
{
var recoveryPlan = await GetRecoveryPlan(disasterType);
var recoveryTasks = new List<Task<bool>>();
// Execute recovery steps in parallel where possible
foreach (var step in recoveryPlan.Steps)
{
if (step.CanRunInParallel)
{
recoveryTasks.Add(ExecuteRecoveryStep(step));
}
else
{
// Wait for parallel tasks to complete
await Task.WhenAll(recoveryTasks);
recoveryTasks.Clear();
// Execute sequential step
await ExecuteRecoveryStep(step);
}
}
// Wait for any remaining parallel tasks
await Task.WhenAll(recoveryTasks);
// Validate recovery
var validationResult = await ValidateRecovery();
return new RecoveryResult
{
Success = validationResult.IsSuccessful,
RecoveryTime = DateTime.UtcNow - recoveryPlan.StartTime,
ValidationResults = validationResult.Results
};
}
}
# ADR-001: Microservices Architecture Decision
## Status
Accepted
## Context
The ICT Governance Framework requires high scalability, maintainability, and the ability to evolve different components independently.
## Decision
We will use a microservices architecture pattern with domain-driven design principles.
## Consequences
### Positive
- Independent deployment and scaling
- Technology diversity
- Fault isolation
- Team autonomy
### Negative
- Increased complexity
- Network latency
- Data consistency challenges
- Operational overhead
## Implementation
- Docker containers for packaging
- Kubernetes for orchestration
- API Gateway for service discovery
- Event-driven communication
This System Architecture provides a comprehensive foundation for the ICT Governance Framework Application, delivering scalable, secure, and intelligent governance capabilities. Built on modern cloud-native principles with AI integration, the architecture supports the targeted $2.3M annual business value while ensuring long-term scalability and maintainability.
Key Architecture Benefits:
The architecture establishes a robust foundation for governance excellence while providing the flexibility and scalability needed for future growth and innovation.
Document Control:
This comprehensive System Architecture provides the technical foundation for successful implementation of the ICT Governance Framework Application, ensuring scalability, security, and performance while supporting long-term business objectives.